Watts was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio, and his early studies were in painting,
architecture, voice, and organ.[1] He later studied at The Academy of Musical Art in
New York City and in
Florence, Italy. He won the Morris Loeb Prize in 1919 for his symphony Young Blood and the
Prix de Rome in 1923. He returned to
Italy a few years later and stayed until 1931, when he returned to the United States.[2] After 1931 he fell into obscurity.[3]
Musical works
Watts composed around 70 songs for voice and piano in the years between 1906 and 1924. Most were published individually by
Oliver Ditson or
G. Schirmer. The songs were highly esteemed in their day, and Upton praised them for their distinctly 'American' sound.[4] His most important
song cycle is his Vignettes of Italy, nine songs from 1919, settings of poems by
Sara Teasdale reflecting on various Italian locations and their associated emotional recollections. Many important singers performed his songs in concert, most notably
Kirsten Flagstad and
John McCormack, to whom Watts dedicated several songs. None of his other music was ever published.[5]
Carmen, Judith E., with William Gaeddert, Rita Resch, and Gordon Myers (2001), Art Song in the United States, 1759-1999 (Third ed.), Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 349–350,
ISBN0-8108-4137-1{{
citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Watts was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio, and his early studies were in painting,
architecture, voice, and organ.[1] He later studied at The Academy of Musical Art in
New York City and in
Florence, Italy. He won the Morris Loeb Prize in 1919 for his symphony Young Blood and the
Prix de Rome in 1923. He returned to
Italy a few years later and stayed until 1931, when he returned to the United States.[2] After 1931 he fell into obscurity.[3]
Musical works
Watts composed around 70 songs for voice and piano in the years between 1906 and 1924. Most were published individually by
Oliver Ditson or
G. Schirmer. The songs were highly esteemed in their day, and Upton praised them for their distinctly 'American' sound.[4] His most important
song cycle is his Vignettes of Italy, nine songs from 1919, settings of poems by
Sara Teasdale reflecting on various Italian locations and their associated emotional recollections. Many important singers performed his songs in concert, most notably
Kirsten Flagstad and
John McCormack, to whom Watts dedicated several songs. None of his other music was ever published.[5]
Carmen, Judith E., with William Gaeddert, Rita Resch, and Gordon Myers (2001), Art Song in the United States, 1759-1999 (Third ed.), Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 349–350,
ISBN0-8108-4137-1{{
citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)